Brendan Sodikoff’s Next Project? A River North Izakaya

He’s mum on details for now, but you can expect sushi and a well curated playlist at Radio Anago.

Radio Anago will open next to Gilt Bar this summer.Screenshot: Google Street View

It’s rare that we get wind of a new Hogsalt Hospitality spot in advance of its debut: secrecy is more Brendan Sodikoff’s style when it comes to new restaurants. But news of an upcoming sushi/izakaya concept Radio Anago (226 W. Kinzie St., River North) broke last week, and Sodikoff fans are already champing at the bit in advance of its summer opening. Chicago caught up with Sodikoff to nab additional details on Gilt Bar’s new Japanese neighbor—plus a few updates on the prolific restaurateur’s other goings on.

Radio Anago: Sodikoff dubs the new, 40-seat digs “cozy” and “casual.” “It won’t really look traditional, with white wood and a stark style,” he says. “This will be a much more comfortable version [of the Japanese restaurant].”

As for the menu, we’ll have to wait and see: “We have to work through it and discover what it’s going to be,” Sodikoff says

One thing’s for sure: Music will be far from an afterthought. Sodikoff’s inspiration comes from one of his favorite places in Tokyo: “There is a bar that I really love—Bar Martha. They don’t have live music, just a real awareness about music. [Radio Anago] will have a great, wonderfully curated sound. I’m trying to create a little broadcast station for it, but there are lots of rules and regulations so I don’t know if it will happen.”

Etc., etc.: With 13 Chicago concepts (and counting!), Sodikoff will next take the Bavette’s show on the road, opening a Las Vegas outpost this fall. And he’s recently given New York’s West Village its first taste of Hogsalt, opening 4 Charles Prime Rib last December. The tiny spot already gets cooking: “The demand is extreme for the number of seats we have,” Sodikoff says. “That can be frustrating for people.” Those people ain’t seen nothin’ until they’ve waited it out at Au Cheval.